I'm sure I haven’t got any right to comment on the bible, but …

[Eastie]

I was thinking the other night whilst flipping through the polisher’s handbook (a truly great book Neil http://www.ubeaut.biz/thumbupwink.gif) that it would be useful to have a section on restoring/aging brass hardware, tools, etc. Stuff like removing rust, japanning, aging shiny brass hardware, dulling shiny brass hardware, etc, etc would be very useful, but then again it is “a polishers handbook” and not “a polishers and restorers handbook”. I guess other books already cover it?

That reminds me, anyone know how to make dull brass shiny without using a solid abrasive like steel wool?

Best wishes,
Mark

[silentC]

Brasso!!

[ozwinner]

Or Silvo for silver.
Goldo for.......nah forget it
Witto for ya wit
:D

[Eastie]

Ok Ok - hold the firing squad :D
The stuff I'm trying to get 'clean' is very detailed and I thought brasso would end up caking in the tight cracks = no good. I was hoping there was something a little tihinner (someone is going to suggest thinning down brasso, I can feel it). If I can't get it cleaned up then I'll have to tarnish the hinges - oh the dilema :D

[ozwinner]

Use Brasso with a toothbrush, works wonders.
Cheers, Al :)

[AlexS]

What ozwinner said. Just ask any old solja.

[Shane Watson]

Tomato sauce works well. just sit the brass in the sauce and the acid do its thing and then clean it off. Same as COKE. I actually havn't used brasso in all the years I have been dealing with antique and old furniture so gather what you will from that comment ;)

[Baz]

Eastie, try some Tarnoff, available at your local supermarket.
Cheers
Barry

[soundman]

Eastie go to your WHS sources & look up acids that can kill you by sucking calcium from you blood stream.
Thats the best brass cleaner there is (sorry can't remember the name). QLD WHS consider it worth a a fact sheet of ots own.
A mate of mine uses it to clean brass cups he sells to magicians (cups & balls!!!)
Just don't get it on your skin.

[Garry1953]

Originally posted by soundman
(sorry can't remember the name).

hydro-flouric acid.... its rather nasty stuff to play with. Take extreme care if you intend to use it.

[Eastie]

Thanks all for the ideas. Shane, that's what I was looking for - I just couldn't remember if it dulled or polished the brass.

Soundman, its called HF - hydrofluoric acid. Nasty stuff. I once had to oversee a concentrated HF operation and it was interesting to say the least. It came in 44 gal plastic chemical drums lined internaly with a composite glass membrane. It could be stored on site for 60 days before use or it had to be returned as the risk of acid breakthrough and subsequent health/environment impact was high. We had one incident in which a chemist spilt 200ml - less than 1 cup. The fire brigade responded four vehicles including a hazmat unit - upon arrival they sat at the evacuation area until the local emergency control team has contained the spill and confirmed the quanltity. Their plan for a HF spill in this facility was to oversee the incident from as far away as possible and rely on the expertise of the locals.

Regards
Eastie :D

[gatiep]

Eastie

The Tomato Sauce that Shane suggested contains citric acid and that is what is doing it. Get some citric acid from the supermarket and make up a solution, it works well.
To take the real green ( virdigris ) tarnish off brass/ copper, mix citric acid powder with soap powder equal quantities, then moisten with water into a paste and gently rub the object, rinse and dry....beeeeaaaauuuuuttttiiiiffffuuuuullllll

Regards
Joe

[seriph1]

I want to PUT verdigris INTO brass and copper

anyone know the formula for this?

Thanks

[Harry II]

To make copper or brass go green, you mix ordinary table salt with vinegar into a sought of gritty paste and apply it to said metal.

Soak a rag or anything absorbent with amonia (sold in supermarkets as "Cloudy Amonia") and place it with the coated metal in a sealed container, making sure the amonia soaked rag doesn't actually touch the metal.

If you can't place all into a sealed container then get the soaked rag as close (without touching) to the coated metal and drape something over it. What your aiming to do is sufficate the metal in Amonia fumes.

Within 6-12 hours the metal will be greeny blue.

[seriph1]

you go into my official "legends" list

thanks heaps harry!


New Yankee Workshop just finished, so I am off to try it now

[Barry_White]

Might be a bit late on this post but have you tried Coca Cola.